Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-03
EQUITY AND TEE LAW.
An Interesting Case Brought Before
Indian Agent Owens at Muskogee.
How a Fortune was Sunk.
A Cattle Synd'ca'e Formed TO do Bust
ness in The Territory Through
q Cherokee Preacher.
The Indian Turrs the Cattle Over to the
Big Men of the Syndicate and the
Little Ones are Left.
Special 20 the Gazette.

| special 20 the GSzette.
! TALLEQUAH, l. T., March 2.-The most
! interes ling case that has occupied Indian
! Agent Owens time tor long while,
forced itself upon him few days ago.
a large syndicate formed in Tennessee,
Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri 10 90
into the cattle business IN the Irdiar
Territory, and the only thing lacking WAS
an Indian to claim their interests here,
SO they procured one q. T. Thompson,
/ Cherokee by blood and late Of Tennessee
and distinguished preacher in the Pres
byterian church, to claim their interests
here and protect them as fer as their cat
tie was concerned, etc, thus giving them
the advantage of grass and other privi
| leges which he could 90 through his
Indian blood. The syndicate invested
about 100000 and put it in the name Of
the Indian Cherokee, G. T. Thompson, SO
rs to avoid taxes, etc. The last two or
three winters, with the exception
of this, having been hard, they
lost lots OF money by cattle dying
and suca ike. The syndicate becoming
dissatisfied split and turned in to beat
one another. Thompson bought 5000
head Of cattle with the money furnished
him hy them and turned them loose on
the Cherokee rGTge as he had right TO
do by his blood, but owing 10 severe
losses, caused by hard winters, the syn
dictate became dissatisfied aud wanted to
quit the business, though the larger pOr-
ton Of them wanted 10 withdraw eTel ii
they could Only realize so cents on the
dollar. Thev induced Thompson TO make
them bill of sale Of the cattle on hand,
about 5000 head. TliS bill of sale was
only made tothe big men in the syndicate
and the little ones were left ont, bU5
Thompson took it as g ciear release Of
all his obligations and turned the stock
into the state to them, being compelled
by the Secretary of the Interior 20 do
this stree he had made the bill CT sale, but
the facts leakt out and only three men
CT the syndicate of five had sgreed TO the
settlement. \ gentleman from Missls
sippi and two men from Illinois were the
parties 20 the syndicate who would be
glad to realize so cents on the dollar for
their investment, and these three men
gave Thompson, the IDdian, $500 over
and above all expenses to turn the 5000
head Of cattle over to them. Buchanan
and Parks, the little men in the syndicate,
now say they never knew anything of the
transfer and that they have been in
gloriously ignored in the whole trsnsac
ton. Finding that Thompson did
not give up the improvements
he heu made in the Nation
on the original investment, they brought
action before the United States Indian
agent at Muskogee to try to force Thomp-
son to sell his improvements in the Na-
ton made with the syndicate's money to
recompense them. They r axe out very
equitable case, bat the intercourse laws
and treaties will protect Thompson,
though he be in the wrong. The case IS
now before the Secretary, but he can
only decide they have been inglOriOusly
duped by fooling with Indians.
This case goes 10 show that 6 non-citi-
zen has no guarantee fer what he invests
in the Indian country contrary to the
statute and the treaty. Buchanan &
Pc, ks will never force Thompson to sell
his Improvements here Tor their benefit;
and furthermore, tHe other three men
wonld never have forced Thompson 10
tGrn over anything unless ne had voluu-
tarily done SO. To sum it up, the plaiu-
tiffs have the equity and Thompson has
the law. One hundred and fifty thousand
dollars was sunk on the deal, Thompson
getting about 5000. Thompson is now
living in handsomely appointed resi-
dence in Springfield, NJ" preaching to
Presbyterian congregation, and still mas
q right here.